Press Releases

Jul232015

WASHINGTON – In a bicameral letter sent to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Congressmen French Hill (AR-02), Bruce Westerman (AR-04) and 67 other Members of Congress requested that the Department of Defense (DoD) revise its policy to allow service members to carry firearms at military bases and reserve centers.

“Current Department of Defense regulations, in place since at least 1992, prohibit base commanders from allowing service members to carry personal firearms on military installations. You have the authority to change this directive, and we implore you to do so. Specifically, we ask that you allow the Commanding Officer at each of our military bases and reserve centers to authorize certain personnel to carry personal firearms as a means of enhanced force protection,” members wrote in the letter.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order on Monday allowing Arkansas National Guard full-time military personnel to be armed for protection. However, this directive only applies to Arkansas National Guard installations. This letter urges the Secretary of Defense to order protective measures at DoD installations.